Our Mission

Creating Community Through Food

We believe that food does more than nourish: food brings people together. We think it’s our responsibility to build meaningful relationships with each part of our extended family; the food we make and sell connects our staff, our guests, our producers and the environment. In this way, we “create community through food”.

Staff – We strive to create a learning and rewarding workplace for our staff. Staff members are encouraged to taste everything, work on our Farms, and frequent events at 18 Reasons, our non-profit community art & food space. Food classes happen all the time. We take care of our staff: each member is eligible for employer-sponsored health insurance, receives a meal with their shift, and is offered a generous discount. We want staff to be able to afford life in San Francisco and build a career as part of our Bi-Rite family.

Producers –We have a deep appreciation and respect for our vendors. We don’t just taste the final product—we get to know the person who grows, raises, and crafts it. By getting to know the farmer, fisherman, rancher, and artisan, we better appreciate their art, dedication and passion. As a result, we’re better stewards of their hard work.

Guests – We treat our customers like guests in our own home. Their passion, enthusiasm, and desire to celebrate food are a constant source of inspiration for us; we learn from them every day. Several of our staff members have started out as guests!

Environment – As a society, we realize that where we shop and what we eat has an impact on our environment. We hope our guests choose to shop at Bi-Rite because they want that impact to be a positive impact. Since our inception we’ve made decisions that minimize impact on natural resources, including using “green” paper products, composting organic waste, and recycling. We were proud when the practices we had in place earned us the official certification of San Francisco Green Business.

We truly believe that through the relationships we build and nourish we are creating a stronger and more vibrant community.